Shake Hands With Beef
Encyclopedia
"Shake Hands With Beef" is the name of a single from the Brown Album
by the alternative rock
band Primus
.
, features him, Larry LaLonde
, and new drummer Bryan Mantia
dressed in orange and brown playing atop a garbage can, while a family grills up a dinner of hamburgers in front of their trailer home. At certain points, Claypool and LaLonde grow insect wings and buzz around the barbecue, only to get swatted at by the family members.
The video was recorded at a slower pace and sped up, making the band members appear to be making strange, jerky motions.
or the act of giving a handjob to a man. However, Les Claypool has stated before that the song title was inspired from a friend who claimed to be a vegetarian, but would occasionally eat meat. "He'd say, time to go shake hands with beef."
The song was performed live for the first time with Bryan "Brain" Mantia on drums on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
in 1997. An extended version of this song appears on Primus' "best of" album, They Can't All Be Zingers. All the extended version includes is the music that faded out on the Brown Album, yet ends with a coda
, total time being 4:20.
Brown Album
- Personnel :* Les Claypool – bass, vocals* Larry LaLonde – guitar* Bryan "Brain" Mantia – drums* Produced by Primus* Engineered by Les Claypool* Production coordinator: Jill "Galaxy Queen" Rose* Studio assistant: Tim "Soya" Soylan-Critical reception:...
by the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
.
Music video
The video, directed by Les ClaypoolLes Claypool
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
, features him, Larry LaLonde
Larry LaLonde
Larry "Ler" LaLonde is a guitarist who currently plays in Primus along with Les Claypool and Jay Lane...
, and new drummer Bryan Mantia
Bryan Mantia
Bryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
dressed in orange and brown playing atop a garbage can, while a family grills up a dinner of hamburgers in front of their trailer home. At certain points, Claypool and LaLonde grow insect wings and buzz around the barbecue, only to get swatted at by the family members.
The video was recorded at a slower pace and sped up, making the band members appear to be making strange, jerky motions.
Meanings
It has been presumed that "shake hands with beef" is a term for masturbationMasturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
or the act of giving a handjob to a man. However, Les Claypool has stated before that the song title was inspired from a friend who claimed to be a vegetarian, but would occasionally eat meat. "He'd say, time to go shake hands with beef."
The song was performed live for the first time with Bryan "Brain" Mantia on drums on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
in 1997. An extended version of this song appears on Primus' "best of" album, They Can't All Be Zingers. All the extended version includes is the music that faded out on the Brown Album, yet ends with a coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
, total time being 4:20.